Of course, the FAFSA always requires the student’s data. Things get a bit complicated after that; but that’s because there are so many different family circumstances in today’s American society. Essentially, questions about who completes the FAFSA are determined by the student’s dependency upon mom and dad and by mom and dad’s marital situation and living arrangements.

Dependent Students

In general, undergraduates younger than 24 are considered “dependent” students for the purposes of student financial aid. On the 2017-18 FAFSA, any student born after 1993 is a dependent student unless that students fits one of the other conditions that define “Independent Students” (see below). Such a student’s FAFSA must include data from the student’s parent(s).

Legal Parents of Dependent Students: The FAFSA requires data about both of the student’s “legal” parents if they’re married or unmarried. A legal parent who’s widowed or who never married must list only his or her data must on the FAFSA.

What’s a legal parent? It’s the student’s adoptive parent, biological parent, or parent as defined by state law. This means no data are required for foster parents, grandparents, legal guardians, and other relatives who house and/or support a student.

Custodial Parents of Dependent Students: If the student’s parents are legally separated or divorced and not living together, data for the “custodial” parent should go on the FAFSA. This is whichever parent the student lived most during the last 12 months. If that’s a tie, the custodial parent is then the one who provided more financial support to the student during the last 12 month period in which the student received money from mom and/or dad.

If legally separated or divorced parents are living together, both their data need to go on the FAFSA. And if a divorced custodial parent gets married again, his or her new spouse is considered a stepparent. Stepparent data must also go on the FAFSA.

Same-Sex Parents: Under a recent Supreme Court decision, same sex couples legally married in a state or foreign country are considered legal parents regardless of where they now live or their student goes to college. Likewise, a new same-sex spouse who’s legally married to a divorced parent is considered a stepparent. Both same-sex parents and stepparents in legal marriages must report their data on the FAFSA.

Independent Students

Besides being born after 1993, a student reaches “independent” status, and no parental data need be on his or her FAFSA, if the student is:

Going to be a graduate or professional student when academic year 2017-18 begins; or

As of the date his or her FAFSA is submitted:

Married (in which case the spouse’s data must be put on the FAFSA with the student’s data); or

Someone who, from July 2017 through June 2018, will supply over half the support to his or her children, spouse, or someone else who lives with him of her; or

On active duty with the U.S. armed forces (including national guard and reserve enlistees) for purposes other than training; or

A veteran of the U.S. armed forces.

Under certain conditions, the FAFSA also treats a student as independent if he or she is a dependent or ward of the court, in foster care, an emancipated minor, under a legal guardianship, a homeless unaccompanied youth, or a self-supporting youth at risk of being homeless.